Slashdot Mirror
FDA To Regulate E-Cigarettes Like Tobacco (cnn.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been all the rage lately, as many claim they are healthier than traditional tobacco cigarettes. Since they are so relatively new to the market, the government hasn't been able to effectively study them and determine whether or not they should be regulated like traditional cigarettes and smokeless tobacco -- until now. The FDA has released their final rule Thursday, broadening the definition of tobacco products to include e-cigarettes, hookahs, pipe tobacco, premium cigars, little cigars and other products. "Going forward, the FDA will be able to review new tobacco products not yet on the market, help prevent misleading claims by tobacco product manufacturers, evaluate the ingredients of tobacco products and how they are made, and communicate the potential risks of tobacco products," the agency said. The new rule will go into effect immediately. According to CDC data from 2014, e-cigarette use among adults has gone up about 12.6%. People under the age of 18 will no longer be able to buy these products with the new regulations, and the products will be required to be sold in child-resistant packaging. In addition, the government will now be able to have a say in what goes into the products. Previously, there was no law mandating that manufacturers tell you what you are inhaling when trying their products.
Vox has a better rundown of the FDA's announced regulations.
The good news is that it's not armageddon for vapers and sellers:
the FDA is allowing companies to continue to sell their products for up to two years while they submit their applications to the agency — and for another year during the approval process.
When I smoke, I still smoke cigs. But I have lots of friends who vape. Personally, I find the propylene glycol vapor more irritating than tobacco smoke.
I can see the fnords!
Also if you have schizophrenia. Nicotine is an anti-psychotic, and can reduce the tremors caused by some other anti-psychotic meds. About 80% of people with schizophrenia smoke, compared to about 20% of the rest of the population.
How about personal freedom. How about you have a right to your own body. If you can abort a fetus certainly you can decide whether or not to smoke a cigarette.
Its not like they are going to ban them, so you will be able to exercise that right. They simply will put in a age limit, which makes sense, and require warning labels.
So, how do you know your nicotine liquid is "medical grade". Is it certified as such? By who? I'll bet that it's not dispensed by a licensed pharmacy.
And your "vape pen" or "e-cig" or whatever is just as problematic, and also in need of real regulation. Durable medical equipment, these are not. Since it's still a grey-market semi-legit industry, they're mostly built in the darkest pits of China, of the cheapest... and not medical grade... parts and similarly subpar batteries... lithium batteries. There've already been a number of cases of them exploding, sometimes while charging, sometimes while in use, and sometimes just randomly. Basically, they're "hoverboards" in miniature.
Actually, I don't especially begrudge anyone their drug of choice. In the case of smoking or "vaping", it's just the method of ingestion that I find obnoxious. But I have an inherent distrust of the claims of head shops about their wares. Even in tolerant states like California, they're still unregulated and fairly sketchy outfits.
Imagine all the people...
The flavorings are already food grade and are made primarily as food additives. That should cover the whole cyanide thing. Plenty of food, BTW is imported from China and the FDA hasn't seen fit to get involved there.
The nicotine I buy comes from the U.S. and includes the analysis sheet for the batch.
Meanwhile, god only knows what's in an air freshener, even the ones that are misted into the air.
No, nicotine has never been shown to cause cancer. If you actually read the reports that say otherwise, you'll invariably find them talking about nicotine consumed by smoking or chewing tobacco directly. NOT studies where purified nicotine was consumed.